Coming off an upset win, the New York Giants welcome the Dallas Cowboys to Metlife for their first primetime game of the NFL season. Trying to build off the momentum gained from beating the Cleveland Browns on the road, the Giants will look to beat a Cowboys team that suddenly looks beatable. Even so, the line is set at +6 for Big Blue for this division rivalry rematch. Can the Giants pull off another upset? If so, here are the key players involved for them to do it.
New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys Matchup History
The Cowboys and Giants have played each other 124 times, with the Cowboys leading 75-47-2. Over the past five years, the Cowboys lead the rivalry 9-1. That includes beating the Giants 40-0 last year at Metlife to open the season.
Key Players for the Giants
Top of the list yet again is none other than Malik Nabers. Nabers is the first player in NFL history to have 23 catches and three touchdowns in his first three games played. He has looked every bit the elite talent he was advertised to be going into the year.
PFF has Nabers graded second among rookies in the NFL at this point in the season. He looks to build on his momentum going into this game against a Dallas defense that’s ranked 14th against the pass through the first three weeks of the year. Can Nabers dominate this game the way he has been this season? If he is, he’ll need the next key player to also step up in this game.
Daniel Jones had a rough start to the season, but has looked better as of late. Jones had a QBR of 100 and 109.4 in Weeks 2 and 3 respectively, and no turnovers over that span. He threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3 and had a 70.6 completion percentage.
Targeting Nabers has helped, and the connection with Wan’Dale Robinson has been good as of late as well. Jones will look to keep the momentum going relying on his receivers and having an OL that’s looked competent in pass blocking for a change.
The Cowboys defense has been vulnerable to the run. They rank dead last over the first three weeks of the season. This makes Devin Singletary another key player in this matchup as he’s been dominating the work in the backfield and has scored in back to back weeks with 4.7 YPC on the season. If he’s able to carve up this defense, it would be a boon to their chances of winning this game.
The Giants will need defensive players like Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux to help stop the Cowboys offensive attack and get pressure on the quarterback. They are all coming off great games against the Browns in Week 3, but we’ll see if they can keep it up against a better ranked offense on paper. If they can, the Giants have a shot at winning in Week 4.
The Cowboys offensive attack is focused on the pass more than the run, so the Giants secondary will likely be very busy this game. As such, players like Deonte Banks, Tyler Nubin, and Jason Pinnock will be key to a Giants victory. Unfortunately, Dru Phillips and Adoree Jackson won’t be on the field in this game and will be missed; especially Phillips who PFF ranked as the top rookie across the whole NFL.
Key Players for the Cowboys
As mentioned, the Cowboys offense is focused on the pass, and their best offensive weapon is none other than CeeDee Lamb, their star receiver. He will be key the Cowboys in their quest to beat the Giants at home like they have four of the last five years, but he isn’t the only one.
The Cowboys still have other capable receivers in Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert. Let’s not forget that Dallas also loves to lean on their tight ends; so Jake Ferguson will be key for them to put up points as well.
If we’re listing out key players for the Cowboys, we have to mention their star quarterback who they made the highest paid player in the NFL on a per year basis. Dak Prescott will be key to getting one in the win column this week, and he’ll need to step it up.
Defensively, the Cowboys will be focused on getting pressure on the Giants with the help of Micah Parsons. Parsons has had a quiet year, and will look to change that in this game.
Another key player will be Trevon Diggs, who should be assigned to keep Nabers in check. He’ll be kept busy all game, and if he’s successful the team will have a good shot at winning the game.
Key to Victory for the Giants
The Giants’ OL will need to protect Jones in the pocket and scheme plays so he can get the ball out quickly. His connection with Nabers will be key in this game, and they can’t let Parsons effectively neutralize their offensive game plan.
Nabers will need to make the plays he’s been so good at to start the season and keep this offense in rhythm. The Giants would be wise to target him early and often to move the offense and pup points on the board.
New York will also need to run the ball effectively, and lean into a clear weakness for the Cowboys defense up to this point in the season. If Singletary can help alleviate some pressure off of Jones and help move the offense, the Cowboys will have a lot of trouble keeping them off the scoreboard.
Their defense will also need to be effective at pressuring the quarterback with the help of Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. If they can effectively disrupt the Cowboys’ scheme, they will have a good shot at winning the game.
The defense will also need to be able to contain CeeDee Lamb and take away a key weapon for their team. If they can do that, then they can keep the Cowboys offense in check, and will need players like Deonte Banks, Tyler Nubin, and Jason Pinnock to step up.
The Giants need to keep their gas on the pedal and make sure they can continue putting up points in the second half. In Week 3, they didn’t score point after halftime and allowed the Browns to almost come back. If the Cowboys happen to be down by halftime, the Giants can’t let them get into a rhythm in the second half and blow the game at the end.
Will the Giants break their losing streak against their long standing division rival? We’ll find out tonight.
Evan Solomon
Evan is originally from Queens, NY and grew up on Long Island, and grew to love The New York Giants being surrounded by Giants fans. He's a social media marketer and content creator by day, which is what led him to joining The League Winners creating content about something he loves - football. Keep an eye out for his fantasy content and NFL team breakdowns.